Page 11 of Silent Fire

But after six months on the run, the loneliness was really starting to get to him. “My stepdad used to do things like that to me,” he murmured, curling his arms around his stomach. “He said it helped build character. It wasn’t the bike I was actually afraid of. It was being dismissed, my feelings not validated, and forced to suck it up when I was scared.”

Tomas climbed off the bike and pulled Noel into his arms. “I’m sorry, Noel. I messed up. But your stepdad letting a little kid deal with his fears alone? That’s just wrong.”

Noel simply rested his head against Tomas’s chest, feeling a comfort he didn’t often experience. He just wanted to find someone he could trust, who wouldn’t hurt him, someone who actually cared about him instead of brushing aside his feelings.

He leaned into Tomas’s solid warmth, letting himself be comforted for just a moment longer. Then he took a shuddering breath and pulled back, meeting Tomas’s gaze. “Thanks. I’m ready to try again.”

Tomas nodded, guiding Noel back to the motorcycle. He placed his hands on Noel’s hips and helped boost him up onto the seat. The seat was soft under Noel as he settled in, gripping the leather beneath his thighs.

Tomas swung his leg over and kicked the stand up. The engine roared to life, vibrating through Noel’s bones. He tensed, fingers digging into Tomas’s waist.

“Relax, hon,” Tomas called over his shoulder. “I’m not gonna let you fall off.”

They took off down the road, wind whipping through Noel’s hair. He squeezed his eyes shut at first, stomach swooping at the unfamiliar sensation. But as Tomas guided the bike smoothly around bends, Noel peeked one eye open. Then the other. The night rushed by in a blur of shadows and moonlight. It was...exhilarating. Terrifying and freeing all at once.

He might’ve even cracked a smile. And definitely noticed the solid body he clung to, the hips his legs bracketed. Then Noel loosened his grip, reminding himself to keep his feelings out of this. Just from the little time he’d spent with Tomas, Noel knew the guy was a heartbreaker. The kind of man who swooped you off your feet and into his bed, leaving you only with a memory of the best night of your life.

Noel already had his heart broken, and then a few bones. Not that he thought Tomas would be the same, but he was still scarred from Brian, emotionally and literally. Getting involved with someone at this point in his life would be a huge mistake. Noel wouldn’t be able to take another emotional blow.

He just didn’t have it in him to go through that again.

Less than ten minutes later, they were parking outside Sin’s. Tomas backed into a spot between two bikes then cut the engine, steadying the bike so Noel could clamber off on shaky legs. The sudden quiet was jarring after the roar of the wind. Music and raucous laughter spilled out from the open door of the tavern, a stark contrast to the silent countryside he’d left behind.

This was exactly what Noel needed, noise, distractions, anything that would drown out the memory of Sharp Teeth.

“C’mon.” Tomas’s hand touched Noel’s back again. “Let’s get some food in you.”

Inside, the noise and crowd hit Noel like a physical force. He faltered, but Tomas’s touch anchored him, guiding him through the press of bodies to the bar. Noel climbed onto a stool, shaking his head, finding it ironic he was right back where he’d started.

Tomas signaled the bartender and ordered them both drinks. A moment later, Cesar appeared, sliding a heaping plate of wings and fries in front of Noel with a wink.

“Your blackmail meal as promised.” With a flourish of his hands, he produced salt and pepper shakers like he’d just performed the neatest magic trick.

Noel’s mouth watered at the sight and smell. His stomach rumbled loudly. Picking up a wing, he bit into it and nearly moaned. Crispy skin, juicy meat, spices that danced on his tongue. It was the best damn thing he’d ever tasted.

“Got any ketchup?” he asked around a mouthful.

Cesar chuckled and produced a bottle from under the bar. “Salsa de tomate for the man who demands a high price to not rabbit on me.”

Noel glared but couldn’t hold it, too busy savoring every bite. Tomas watched him with an amused half-smile, sipping his whiskey.

“Hey.” Tomas’s voice cut through his ravenous haze. Noel glanced up, hoping he didn’t have sauce on his face. Tomas arched an eyebrow. “Swear to me you won’t take off again without a word. Not like that.”

Noel swallowed his food, meeting Tomas’s intense stare. The instinct to run was a living thing inside him. But he thought of Tomas’s arms around him, the steadiness in his voice. The way he made Noel feel like maybe he could exhale, just for a little while.

“I swear,” Noel said in a low tone. “I won’t ghost on you again. I’ll use my big-boy words if I feel that itch to run.”

Tomas studied him for a long moment before giving a nod. He squeezed Noel’s shoulder then stepped away, melting into the crowd.

Alone at the bar, Noel stared at his plate, his appetite slightly diminished but not enough to push his food away. He polished off the wings methodically, barely tasting them now. His mind kept circling back to the farmhouse, to those feral eyes and sharp teeth. He shuddered, shoving a fry into his mouth.

Cesar briefly returned, just long enough to set a glass of soda in front of Noel before disappearing again.

For a second, Noel closed his eyes, telling himself not to get used to this, to the feeling of family, of belonging. He’d had that feeling in the past, and it hadn’t ended so well. For real, he’d never had the “family” thing. Not like a kid should’ve had. And if he were being honest with himself, Noel had never felt like he truly belonged anywhere.

But this place? He’d been here less than a day and both of those feelings had already swept through him. The way they laughed and patted a shoulder here and there, their skin crinkling at their eyes. The rowdiness that seemed good-natured, like they could either kill you or offer you the leather off their backs.

As Noel glanced around, he started to understand what this club meant to these men. A brotherhood they wouldn’t find anywhere else.

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